Niutsuhime Shrine is the head of about 180 Niutsuhime shrines nationwide and the first-rank shrine of Kii Province. Traditions hold that the goddess Niutsuhime bestowed Mt. Koya on Kukai, making this a guardian shrine linked with Shingon Buddhism. Its four vermilion halls are Important Cultural Properties and a World Heritage component.

The founding of Niutsuhime Shrine predates records; the goddess Niutsuhime no Okami was venerated in the Kii mountains as a deity of cinnabar. The shrine is the head of some 180 Niutsuhime shrines nationwide and holds the rank of first-rank shrine of Kii Province. In 816, tradition holds that when K…